Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-11-23
COSTLY JEWELS
vgHpEu BY A SOCIETY DIAMOND xER.
CHANT.
A Beauty Adorned by Necklace Worth
100000 Dealers Nest
CnstlY Gem.

social position WAS unNOuDtcu, anu NJ
had undiSputed Cafrce into the best cir
cles. The advantage accuing from
these circumstances in the way of dis
posing OF his choice and costly wares ar,
obvious. and il is said that gems left bis
possession and In return. his bank ac
count was increased nearly a quarter o
q million. Many rare gems passed into
the collections of society bellies, and
many husbands and fathers deyoutly
wished the dimamond merchant in Jen
cho.
One of the first of the many stories
set afioat about the craze for gems was
OF the purchase by the Whtneys OF q
$50, necklace. In the necklace were
forty stones graded from the great centre
of thistle down. All the diamond
markets In the world had been searched
to accomplish the graduation. Soon
afterward there was a story about some
unpleasantneSs in the household of q
western politician of national fame on
account of n loving wife opening letter
to her husband containing bill for
diamonds which she had never received,
and there were good many explanations
and friends called in and peace patched
up by the purchase of more diamonds,
which did go to the wife and not to some
other person.
II was told Of the wife Of far western
senator that while sitting in the parlor of
a hotel, after having sent up her card to
the wife of another senator living at the
hotel, her attention was attracted to a
little group of ladies gathered about the
diamond merchant, who had spread his
wares on the piano for their inspection
She listened to their "ahs and "ohs "
and little screams of ecstatic admiration,
and then crossed the room and Joined
the group. She handled the gems with
an appearance of indifference blended
with the air of cORnOiSSeUr. The other
ladies-wives of congressman and Gov
eminent officials-stood back respect
fully. Finally she picked up a great
carbuncle pendant set in a double row
of pearls and diamonds, and said:
"What do you value that at 2"
Seventeen hundred dollars, was the
reply.
The lady opened her reticule, took out
a check-book, made out check for the
amount, put the pendant in her pocket,
and calmly resumed her chair. She
PABALYzED THAT GROUP
OF ladies, and at the same time added an
other jewel to a collection which is
already one of the richest owned by any
American lady.
The diamond merchant has returned
20 town, and is prepared for another
campaign. Last night he had an adven-
ture in the Ebbitt House that made his
hair curl. He is noted for dealing in
gems Of extraordinary size and value,
and is intrusted with the sale of such
gems by European and New York deal
ers. He took a friend into the reading
room OF the hotel to show him an extra
ordinary opal, claimed to be the largest
and finest in America, set in diamonds.
He spread out the stones on the table.
and they made a brilliant aud dazzling
display. The opal, which is over an
inch long and wonderfully rides
cent, was admired together with big
amethyst set in brilliants, and a hand
ful of diamonds of different values, some
Of them, as the saying goes, worth n
kings ransom. At length he carefully
produced the star of the collection, a
of fifteen carats which he says
is the finest in the world, which is for
sale, and is valued at 100000. He put
the great stone in his tweezers and passed
it over TO his friend, against his usual
custom, which is always 10 hold the /
stone in his own hand when enclosed in |
he tweezers. Just as the stone was
changing hands, and the diamond mer-
liant was saying "hold it firmly" there |
vas a snap, a streak of light. click
IN the marble floor and the dia-
nond was gone. The party of men
we're sitting at the end of the
near the windows open
ng on + street, and the stone shot to-
ward the other end of the large room,
rom which doors open into the general
office near the wash-room and the news
stand. The two or three other gentle
men IN the room sprang for the S2O,O
and everybody went down on
hands and knees in search for it. The
doors were hurriedly closed. and Mr..
Burch, the head clerk, summoned. Here
was a fortune in one little stone lying
about the hotel floors, and
crowds of persons, servants, etc, pass
ing and repassing. The stone seemed
TO shoot in the corner Of the room be-
hind the door leading into the general
Office, and search was made there.
elf the stone is III sight you cannot
miss it." said the diamond merchant.
4" You might as well try 20
HIDE A COAL or FIRE"
II was found that in that particular
corner there were two holes through the
floor, where formerly heaiinS-pipes had
passed. When the diamond merchant
saw them he put his hands over his white
face, from which the pelspiration was
and muttered
"My God What have | done?"
Meanwhile negro had been brought
In and ordered to sweep the floor. There
had been no thought that the diamond
had gone ont OF the room into the gene
raj Office. The rumor of some great loss
spread about, and the people standing
about the lobby came crowding about
the guarded doors Of the reading room.
Just at tlris point DIR. +. S. Coues, OF the
United States navy, came out of the
wash room, and seeing the crowd and
the people inyide the reading-room creep
ing and searching, he stepped in and
said TO the negro with the broom:
"What's the matter Something
lost 2"
eyes, sab" was the reply.
"what is ftp" asked the Doctor.
"Deed don't know, sab. There is
the man that lost it" pointing to the
merchant.
"what have you lost ?" asked DR..
Cones.
"a diamond" was the answer.
swell, l guess found it," said the
Doctor. and he pulled the $4,000 gem
from his yest-pocket and placed it in the
hand OF the diamond-merchant.
The merchants trained eye recognized
il at once, and he threw his arm around
the Doctors neck and there was sigh Of
relief all around. The Doctor had picked
it mp in the door of the wash.room,
where it had been shot by carom on
the wall inside the reading-room, and